


Do You Want to Go Out with Us?

by Peggo



Series: Baker/Band AU [2]
Category: Cricket RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bakery AU, Good Communication Skills, Idk what to tag this tbh, M/M, Sort of Coffee Shop AU, for once, they are not cricketers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25977898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peggo/pseuds/Peggo
Summary: Mark and Ben get to know Eoin a bit better.They realise they want to get to know Eoin a lot better.
Relationships: Eoin Morgan/Ben Stokes/Mark Wood, Jimmy Anderson/Alastair Cook, Joe Root & Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow/Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler/Joe Root, Mentioned/Implied:, Stuart Broad/Steven Finn
Series: Baker/Band AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885438
Comments: 15
Kudos: 15





	Do You Want to Go Out with Us?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cricket_crazy28](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cricket_crazy28/gifts), [HeidiJames28](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeidiJames28/gifts).



> I hope I've done it justice, and that you enjoy, it's just a little get together ficlet as a follow on from the other one !!  
> Xx

Jos and his band soon become a regular feature in the bakery, attracting many more teenage girls than had previously visited. While the majority were polite and on their best behaviour, hoping to meet Jos or the band, there had been a few mishaps (including a particularly vicious and foul-mouthed group of three, who Ben had had to remove from the café area after they’d began slagging Joe off to his face, telling him Jos deserved better and that they’d break up soon anyway, and which had left Joe near tears and Jos irate.) (It had also led to Jos’ phone being confiscated by his management after a stream of tweets about respecting boundaries and privacy, and to Jos trending globally, and there was a definite spike in  _ Blue Eyed Baker Boy  _ streams.)

The novelty of having award-winning global superstars at the bakery soon wears off among customers however, and soon it’s a rarity that people are there for the band rather than the bakes. Soon Jos, Eoin, Stuart and Jonny are treated just like the regulars, getting to know Joe’s other regulars, and soon Eoin or Stuart are just as familiar a sight at the counter as Ollie or Sam.

Ben and Joe are at their apartment, doing their washing up, when Joe shoots him a sideways glance and says, 

“Eoin’s not been in the bakery recently, has he? Chris and I haven’t seen him for a while.”

Ben starts, with a furrowed brow. Eoin had been in the bakery more than he ever had been that week, coming in at the start of his shifts and sitting there for about half an hour before leaving, having a coffee, or a slice of cake. He keeps Ben company, and they often chat about the weirdest order of the day, or whatever was trending on twitter at the time. When he says as much to Joe, Joe smirks, as though Ben has proven the very point he had wanted to prove, but doesn’t expand any further. 

* * *

Mark doesn’t have as much to do with the band, since he worked in catering, separate from the bakery, and he gets to know them quite passively through group events that Joe organises at his house. He gets to know the lads a bit better about a month after the concert when Joe pays him a visit, asking whether him and his team would be up to doing a charity dinner in a week or so, since there had been a last minute cancellation and it was really important to Jos and he just wanted it to go so perfectly. 

Mark agrees (and is rewarded with a bone-crushing hug, a kiss to the cheek and a cry of ‘thank you’ from Joe), and starts making the necessary arrangements- placing orders and organising deliveries, ready to create the night of these rich sods’ lives. 

The dinner is a success, with huge amounts of money being raised for the charity, and many ‘compliments to the chef’ from various guests. It’s after the dinner, when Mark has finally finished collecting his equipment, with his team already gone home, and he himself was ready to go back to his car that Jos jogs up to him, to thank him for stepping up to the plate, they really owe him one, and whether he’d like to stay a while longer with the lads for a chat and leftovers. With nothing better to do he agrees, and Jos leads him over to the rest of the band, who smile and wave, Eoin passes him a plate of dauphinoise potatoes, and Mark has to stop himself from doing a double take because he does  _ not  _ remember his eyes being so piercing. 

Mark’s driving home when he catches himself wondering when he might be able to see Eoin again, and swears loudly to himself, realising,  _ fuck.  _

_ Maybe I like him like I like Ben. _

* * *

When Joe gets news that Ali and Jimmy are going to be back in town he convinces Jos to invite them round to his for dinner and a film, Jos’ apartment being larger than Ben and Joe’s despite him being the only inhabitant. They invite all their friends, and Joe spends the day of their dinner spinning around Jos’ living room excitedly, Bingo held aloft above his head. They soon discover when everyone arrives, however, that big as Jos’ apartment is, trying to cram eleven men and a cat around a table meant for four in a single person apartment is like a delicately poised game of tetris that they have no hope of winning, and abandon any plans of being able to eat at Jos’, going instead to Pizza Express, cramming themselves into the corner much to their waitress’ amusement. 

They  _ do  _ return to Jos’ after their meal, Jos dragging out extra furniture from his bedroom into his living room so they all have somewhere to sit and they open some drinks, TV on in the background, catching up, chatting and swapping stories in an attempt to embarrass their friends. 

Eoin’s found himself crammed on the sofa with Ben and Mark, thigh pressed against Ben’s. Ali and Jimmy, as the ‘Old Men’ are sharing the love seat, with the most room, and Chris and Jonny bagsied the chaise longue as soon as they saw it. Stuart and his boyfriend Steven are on a beanbag that Jos has pulled from goodness knows where, and Joe is sat on Jos with Bingo, somehow all folded into an armchair. 

Eoin looks around the room, and feels a pang in his chest for what everyone else has. Jimmy and Ali, despite appearing like they’re just sat next to each other like friends, have hooked their ankles around each others’. Stuart is lying in between Steven’s legs, back to his chest as Steven runs his hand through Stuart’s hair, and Eoin hasn’t missed the way Jonny and Chris are holding hands, with Jonny moving his thumbs in circles on the back of Chris’ hand. Joe’s head is resting in the crook of Jos’ neck, occasionally pressing a kiss down on to his collar bone, with Jos holding him tight on his lap. Worst of all is probably Mark and Ben, next to him. While their displays of affection are much more subtle, Mark is leaning against Ben, Ben’s arm wrapped around Mark and Mark’s hand resting on Ben’s thigh, it feels so much worse.  _ He _ wants to be able to lean into Ben like Mark’s doing, wants Mark’s hand resting on his thigh and his position on the sofa seems to be taunting him; in another world maybe they were all sitting in their relationships, and Eoin  _ could _ be a part of what Mark and Ben had. But instead he’s sat, on the edge of their happiness, and never before has the phrase  _ so close yet so far  _ made so much sense to him. 

As the night goes on Ali and Jimmy are the first to leave, saying they need to get on the road early tomorrow, though of course they’ll stop by the bakery first, don’t worry Joe. Joe shows them to the door, detaching himself from Jos and placing Bingo carefully on Jos’ lap to go and fetch Ali and Jimmy their coats. 

In the hallway, as they hug goodbye, Ali pauses and smiles at Joe, 

“Tomorrow, you might want to talk to Ben about his situation. I have a feeling he’ll need a friend, you be there for him, won’t you. The sooner the better, I’d say, help him clear his head.” Joe doesn’t understand, and wants to ask more, when Jimmy calls to Ali to hurry the fuck up because he’s freezing his balls off out here, and Ali simply kisses Joe’s forehead before linking arms with his husband as they set off. 

Joe makes his way back to the living room, folding himself back into Jos’ lap, mulling over what Ali told him. Wrapped up in Jos’ arms he soon begins to drift off, forgetting what Ali told him as he left, and not noticing that on the sofa Eoin is starting to do the same, until his head is resting on Ben’s shoulder. 

Asleep, Joe also misses the way Ben stiffens slightly, careful not to disturb Mark, who’s asleep on his otherside, eyes wide as he looks down at the bassist, before he wraps an arm around him, too. 

Jos does not. 

* * *

From that night, something seems to have shifted in Ben and Mark’s relationship, though they’d never admit that to anyone. But Ben has noticed, and he knows Mark has too, that their relationship now seems more delicate, more brittle, than it ever has done before. Not even when they started dating. It had never been like this before, and there’s only so much Ben can take. 

He’s lying in his bed, his lights off except his bedside lamp, when there’s a tentative knock at his door and Joe pokes his head round, two cups of tea in his hand. 

“I’m not sure what’s up, Benny, but maybe we could have a cuppa and lie in bed until it all seemed a little bit smaller?” And who would Ben be if he could refuse that offer. It was a tradition he’d started when Joe got overwhelmed in sixth form; they’d dim the lights, Ben would make tea and they’d lie side by side, crammed into the small single bed in Joe’s room until he was ready to talk. He moved to the side slightly, and Joe passed him his cup of tea, before leaning against Ben as they drank their tea in silence. 

Ben had finished his tea and Joe only had a small gulp left in the bottom of his mug when Ben feels ready to finally admit to himself, and Joe, what’s been bothering him for the past fortnight. 

“I just don’t know what to do.” 

Joe places his mug on the bedside table, and because he’s a good friend, simply settles down close to Ben and waits. 

“I don’t want to break up with Mark. I still fancy the pants off him, just like I did when we first met. I still want to make him smile, still want to laugh at him when he forgets he’s mopped the bathroom and falls over. Still want to listen to our playlist on long drives and listen to him shout his way through the songs. Christ, I even want to move in with him, soon, no offense, Joey, I love him. I really, really fucking love him. But I  _ can’t _ ignore the elephant in the room. I can’t just act like I don’t want to do these things with Eoin too. Want to learn what his go-to Domino’s is. How he takes his tea. Find out what trashy TV program he pretends he doesn’t watch in front of his friends but loves. Fucking hell, I fancy the pants off him, too.” 

There’s a moment’s silence and Ben doesn’t know where it’s all come from, but he knows it’s the truth. He waits for Joe’s input, nervous that he might not be able to handle whatever it is that Joe’s about to tell him, that he’s a horrible person, how could he do this to Mark, I can’t believe we’re friends. None of this comes. Instead Joe shuffles a bit so his head is resting on Ben’s chest and asks,

“You talked to Mark about this?” 

“And jeopardised three years of dating? I think the fuck not, Joe.” 

“Maybe he feels the same though. And it might not jeopardise anything. Maybe it could fix it, because you can’t tell me that your relationship has been fine and dandy since you  _ both  _ got closer with Eoin. And with those three years of dating you’ll listen to each other and work things through. You still fancy Mark, and if Mark doesn’t like Eoin like that, then that’s a bridge you’ll have to cross when you get there. But you don’t know that’s the case, bub. You’ve got to talk to Mark about this not just, like, if you want to take it further with Eoin as part of your relationship, but also if you want to try to work through your relationship with Mark, too. You guys are a team. You’ve got to be on the same page. He won’t dump you. You just need to communicate”

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” 

Ben flicks off the lamp, thoughts racing round his head a hundred miles a minute as Joe settles down next to him. When he wakes up Joe is still there, curled up on his side, hair a mess and looking just like he did when they were sixteen, wearing Ben’s jumper. But the advice he had given last night was still rattling around his brain, advice sixteen year old Joe would  _ not  _ have been able to give him.

_ When the fuck did you grow up and become so wise, Joseph. Ali’s rubbing off on you.  _

* * *

He knows what he has to do and texts Mark asking if he could come round for a chat, it was super important and they might need a lot of time, do you have anything planned today. When he gets a text back from Mark telling him his schedule was clear all day, and that he thought they definitely needed a chat, he scrawled out a quick note to Joe explaining what he was doing, before pulling on a coat and making his way over to Mark’s. 

The whole walk to his boyfriend’s, his mind is racing. When Mark had said that they ‘defo need a chat’ _ , what had he meant. _ That they needed a chat because he knew that Ben fancied Eoin? Needed a chat because they needed to break up? A small hopeful part suggested they needed to chat because Mark fancied Eoin too, but Ben tries not to listen to that part of his brain too much, just in case it was tempting fate, or too much to hope for. 

He calls Mark when he’s approaching his apartment, and gets buzzed through straight away. Mark welcomes him in and they make their way to the sofa, sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, facing each other with their backs on the armrests, legs outstretched and intertwined in front of them, just like they’ve done a million times before. 

As Ben is trying to work out what to say, Mark looks up at him, beating him to opening his mouth, 

“We need to talk. Because I love you, but  _ fuck _ I fancy Eoin too.” 

Ben can’t help it, he feels all the tension leave his body. Relief floods his body as he processes what Mark is saying. He likes Eoin too, they both do. They’re still in love, they always have been, always will be, but they’ve just found someone else to share that love with. 

“Ben..? I mean, are you OK? I could have tackled that better, I just needed to get it off my chest, I can’t keep just pretending I don’t anymore.” 

“Neither can I.” 

Mark’s head whips up from where it had been bowed, focussing firmly on his clasped fingers in his lap. Eyes wide he searches Ben’s face, trying to gauge whether Ben was being serious, or having him on. When he realises Ben’s not joking, he heaves out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck, and asks

“What do we do now, then?”, and Ben wishes he had an answer. Had some sort of a master plan that would sort everything out, guarantee that Eoin would be open to working it all out with them. But he doesn’t, and he says as much, sighing and taking one of Mark’s hands in his. 

Mark shuffles round so he’s leaning on Ben, and they sit in companionable silence for a while, until Mark heaves out a sigh, 

“He’s got beautiful eyes though, hasn’t he”

And Ben smiles at this, pressing a kiss to Mark’s shoulders. 

“Tell me about it.”

* * *

Eoin has been more subdued than usual, and all of his bandmates have noticed. He snaps at Stuart more frequently and has less patience with Jonny. They’re packing up after a studio session, although Stuart had already left in an attempt to make it to the shops before they shut because Steve texted him with a list of ingredients they needed for dinner. They finish hanging up the wires that somehow always manage to get tangled on the floor in their rehearsals, and Jonny bids them goodbye, off to collect Chris from work. 

Jos knows now is his opportunity, and clears his throat, 

“So. Ben and Mark are good looking. Aren’t they.” 

Eoin drops the USB he was about to pocket, scrambling to pick it up again and adamantly refusing to look Jos in the eye. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” is Eoin’s stiff reply, still not looking at Jos, and repositioning an already in position mic stand. 

Jos isn’t sure whether Eoin’s denial is adorable or depressing, rolling his eyes. It was obvious, to him at least, that the couple had tried to show interest in Eoin multiple times, and had been met with nothing. Ben unashamedly checked Eoin out whenever he walked into the bakery, and Mark sent him a good morning message  _ every single day.  _ The other day a bouquet of flowers had arrived at the studio to ‘the fittest bass player ever, lots of love, your number one fans, Ben and Mark xx’. Ben made Eoin’s drink ready for him as he walked into the café. Mark took his lunch break at three in the afternoon so he could take it in the café with Eoin and Ben. They were trying  _ so hard _ to let Eoin know, short of writing it in the sky, and even then Jos reckons Eoin would find a way to spin it so that it was not a sign that Ben and Mark fancied them. 

Jos chose, instead, to try to guide Eoin to the conclusion himself, or at least plant seeds in his mind. 

“Joe said Ben was checking out your arse in those new jeans the other day.”

“Joe needs to mind his own fucking business or I’ll-”

“Or you’ll do  _ what  _ exactly.” 

Eoin glances up, to see Jos with his arms crossed over his chest, and knows he’s overstepped a mark. 

“Or nothing. Sorry.” He lowers his head, running a hand through his hair and wishing Jos would just let it go. He’s not  _ stupid _ he’s noticed the way Mark and Ben flirt with him, how they make time for him and how they seem to want to get to know him. He has also noticed how firmly together and in love they are, which everyone seems to have forgotten. When he says as much to Jos, pointing out that they’ve been together for  _ three years _ , that it’s not like he can just tell them he likes them both and expect  _ both  _ of them to like him back, Jos throws himself into a chair, sighing and looking up at Eoin. 

“You don’t believe that do you? No, don't answer that. I don’t want to know. Am I the  _ only one _ who, when we go to LGBT events, actually  _ listens _ to the speakers? Because I swear to god, first Stu, all like ‘oh no I can’t fancy Steve, because I dated Mollie’ and now you, Mr ‘two people can’t like me because they like each other and apparently I’m the authority on their feelings now.’ Ever heard of polyamoury?” 

* * *

“Jos?”

“Mmhmm?” 

“I think I’m polyamorous.”

“Mmhmm?” 

“Fuck you.”

* * *

Ben and Mark have been dropping hints for what feels like forever. Nothing they’ve done seems to be working, not even when they took him take away after a gig, or sent him flowers, or even texted him telling him they missed him when he’d gone away for the weekend. They’re sat in Ben and Joe’s living room, trying to come up with another plan when Joe gets back from a trip to visit Ali and Jimmy. Kicking off his shoes he passes Ben and Mark on his way to the kitchen to make himself a cuppa, returning with a grin to ask, 

“What are you two up to, then? All huddled up on my sofa, thick as thieves.”

Mark looks slightly embarrassed, but Ben knows it’s Joe, so fills him in on what they were just talking about; how they’ve not made any progress and that they still don’t even know if he’s interested. Joe doesn't look too surprised at this revelation, smiling at them from the doorway as he asks, 

“Have you asked him outright? Because I reckon if you did he’d be down.” 

“We don’t know that though”, points out Mark. Joe nods, humming in agreement. 

“No, I suppose you don’t. But the only person that  _ does  _ know is him, so maybe you should, you know. Ask him.” And with that he turns and makes his way to his room, slurping at his tea, and singing softly to himself under his breath. 

“We need to stop letting him visit Ali,” says Ben, watching Joe shut his door and turning to face Mark. 

“They grow up so fast”, Mark agrees, pretending to wipe away tears. 

They spend the rest of the night trying to work out what they’re going to say and how they’re going to approach Eoin when he comes in tomorrow, before dragging themselves to Ben’s room at some point past half one.

* * *

Eoin comes into the café at five to three the next day, just like he always does, sitting down at the counter as Ben fixes him his drink, which has somehow become their new normal. Mark comes in at three, singing about having the afternoon off because of a last minute cancellation (he doesn’t mention that the cancellation was on his side and that the event is actually continuing with Eloise in charge and that Bryony in Glouceseter thinks he has a terrible stomach bug). He sits down next to Eoin, and kisses both Ben and Eoin on the cheek. 

They joke about like they always do, Mrs Jones coming in for her usual tea and cake at four as she asks about how they’ve been and in turn Mark asks her about how her vegetable patch is doing, before she goes to her usual table to sit down with her newspaper. When Joe comes to take over from Ben out front, Ben suggests they move their chats to their sofa, since they’ve got nothing better to do, Joe has overbaked so he’s not needed in the kitchen but he’s still on closing. 

When they get to the sofa, Eoin next to Mark on one sofa, Ben facing them from the sofa opposite, Ben takes a deep breath as he looks at Eoin. Eoin can feel Ben and Mark trying to work something out between them and Ben seems to go to say something when Mark blurts out, 

“Do you want to go out with us?”

Eoin sits there, looking from Mark to Ben and back again, trying to work out if they’re having him on. But Mark had said  _ us _ , he’d definitely said  _ do you want to go out with  _ **_us_ ** **.**

Ben clears his throat, 

“We had a  _ plan _ , Mark. But, Eoin. We both like you, we’ve not felt this way about anyone since each other. But we still like each other. Does any of this make sense. I like you and I like Mark. Like, erm, Mark we had a plan, you’re meant to jump in here and help me, why aren’t you helping me.” Ben looks at Mark, gesturing with his hands for him to do something, while Mark equally looks lost, using his hands to try and tell Ben something and Eoin thinks the whole situation is rather amusing, looking at these two ( _ his  _ two) idiots floundering.

“Yes.” 

Ben and Mark stop their gesticulation, turning to stare at Eoin, as though they can’t believe their ears. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“Yes. I do want to go out with you. Both of you.” 

Ben and Mark are beaming, looking at Eoin like he’s just told them he’s booked them a trip to Disneyland, and by the time Joe’s back for his shift, hand in hand with Jos, Eoin has his feet stretched out, touching Ben’s under the coffee table, and is leaning contentedly against Mark, and stay there until Ben heaves himself up for closing. 

Jos winks at Eoin as he and Joe make their way out of the bakery, and Joe calls over his shoulder, 

“Remember, no fucking in the kitchen!”, which earns him a playful cuff around the ears from Ben,

“Like I didn’t catch you and Jos-” 

“Bye Ben! Also I’m going to Jos’ tonight, so you’ll have our place  _ all to yourself _ if you know what I-”

Jos pulls Joe out of the door, who is still grinning wickedly, as Eoin, Ben and Mark all laugh and wave goodbye. 

“Can we take you to dinner tonight? We know Bella from that Italian that I know you want to try, we could call and see if she could get us a table at like, eight? If that would work for you? 

They call Bella, who manages to get them a table at half eight, which is close enough, and Ben falls asleep with his arms wrapped around his  _ boyfriends _ , happy and warm, and makes a mental note to thank Joe for the empty apartment tomorrow.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I didn't even know how people would react to the first one, but this is a little add on after the loveliest comments and people ever, so thank you to @Cricket_crazy28 and @HeidiJames28 (does @ even work on AO3, I still have no clue how this website works)  
> I hope you enjoyed it and that it was all OK, this is defo a ship that I'm less familiar with, whoops, but I tried my best !!  
> Peg Xx


End file.
